Splatter shield and bumper for paint roller

ABSTRACT

A device adapted to be affixed without tools to a conventional paint roller to serve as a splatter shield and to act as a bumper preventing the movement of the paint cylinder against an adjacent wall. The shield of the device is mounted on the spindle of the roller and is rotatable around the paint cylinder. The clamp of the device has a plate rotatable by a finger of the hand holding the handle of the roller. The plate and the shield are interconnected by a pair of guide lines so that the shield can be positioned as desired by finger rotation of the plate.

United States Patent Kovacs 1 Apr.l1, 1972 [54] SPLATTER SHIELD AND BUMPER FOR PAINT ROLLER 21 Appl. No.: 94,737

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,389,409 11/1945 Brzeski ..40l/2l8 2,695,417 11/1954 Bathurst 3,212,121 10/1965 Munn ..40l/2l8 3,457,582 7/1969 Fisher ..15/248 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 547,401 5/1956 Belgium ..l5/248 A Primary Examiner-Daniel Blum Attorney-Kane, Dalsimer, Kane, Sullivan & Kurucz [57] ABSTRACT A device adapted to be affixed without tools to a conventional paint roller to serve as a splatter shield and to act as a bumper preventing the movement of the paint cylinder against an adjacent wall. The shield of the device is mounted on the spindle of the roller and is rotatable around the paint cylinder. The clamp of the device has a plate rotatable by a finger of the hand holding the handle of the roller. The plate and the shield are interconnected by a pair of guide lines so that the shield can be positioned as desired by finger rotation of the plate.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SPLATTER SHIELD AND BUMPER FOR PAINT ROLLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to paint rollers and more particularly to a device for removable attachment to a paint roller to serve as a splatter shield and bumper.

Earlier patents disclose shields or guards for paint rollers which shields in some cases can be shifted with respect to the paint cylinder but none provide for rotation of the shield by finger means on the handle of the paint roller.

It is an object of this invention to provide a light and inexpensive shield device which can be secured to a paint roller without the use of tools.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device having a shield rotatable about the paint cylinder of a paint roller and linked by guide lines to a rotatable plate clamped to the handle of the paint roller, which plate can be rotated by a finger of the hand holding the paint roller to position the shield in a desired spot with respect to the paint cylinder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which is efficient for its intended purpose and simple and economical to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention covers a device made up of a shield of light weight material, which can be clipped to the spindle holding the paint cylinder of a paint roller, and a clamp which can be affixed to the handle of the paint roller. The clamp has a rotatable plate affixed to it, which plate has a finger portion for rotation of the plate. The rotatable plate and the shield are linked together by guide lines which permit rotation of the shield to the desired position by mere finger pressure on the rotatable plate as the roller is being used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description which is to be taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a somewhat preferred embodiment of the invention in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a paint roller with the shield of the present invention attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a view of one end of the roller and shield of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the opposite end of the roller and shield of FIG. 1 showing the shield in position for painting a wall and the bumper against the ceiling; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the shield in position for painting a ceiling.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings there is shown in FIG. 1 a paint roller indicated generally at 10, including a rod 11 formed into a spindle 12 to support a cylinder 13 covered with a material suitable for applying paint to a surface, an offset portion 14, and a handle portion 15 to which is affixed a handle 16. This paint roller 10 is of conventional design.

The splatter shield and bumper device of the present invention is adapted to be secured at one end to the spindle 12 of the paint roller and at the other end to the handle 16 of such roller. Such device comprises the shield portion which is a semicylindrical shell 17 which may be made of nylon, Teflon (Du Pont trademark for tetrafluoroethylene resins), lightweight aluminum or like material. The shell is closed at the ends to form a trough-like structure. The shield is provided at the ends with means to clip it to the spindle of a conventional paint roller so that it is free to rotate around the paint cylinder with the spindle serving as the axis of rotation. As illustrated in FIG. 1, one end of the shield has a pin 18 projecting from the shell for insertion into the paint cylinder while the other end has a clip 19 affixed to the shell for securing the shield to the spindle. Along one longitudinal edge of the shield is a raised portion 20 which serves as a bumper and prevents the shield from striking an adjacent wall or the ceiling. Rings or similar loops are centrally located on each side of the shield for attaching guide lines to the shield.

The other portion of the device includes a U-shaped clamp 21 for affixing this portion of the device to the handle 16 of paint roller. The clamp consists of plates 22 and 23 hinged together by a cross member 24 and adapted to fit around the handle. The other ends of the plates have holes into which a screw 25 can be inserted. A wing nut or thumb screw 26 is threaded onto the screw so that the plates can be firmly affixed to the handle by hand without the need for any screw driver or other tools. Affixed to the cross member 24 is an L- shaped rod 27 which runs upwardly from the clamp toward the shield and serves as a guide rod for the guide lines running to the shield. A T-shaped plate 28 is also rotatably affixed to the cross member 24 by the screw 29. The vertical portion of this plate 28 has a curved portion 28a adapted to receive a finger for rotation of the plate. A spring 30 is affixed at one end to the rod 27 and at the other end to one end of the cross member of the plate 28. This spring normally keeps the plate 28 in the position shown in FIG. 4, which, through the guide lines, keeps the shield under the paint cylinder when the paint roller is held in the vertical position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. One guide line 31 is secured to one end of the cross member of the plate 28, runs along the rod 27, through a guide 32 secured to the rod 27 at its curved portion, through another guide 33 in the end of the rod 27, and then is attached to a ring 34 on one side of the shield. The other guide line 35 is secured to the opposite end of the cross-member of the plate 28, runs through the guides 32 and 33, and then is attached to a ring 36 on the other side of the shield.

The operation of the device should be quite apparent from the foregoing description. After the shield portion has been clipped to the spindle of the paint roller and the clamp has been secured to the handle of the paint roller, the shield will normally be directly under the paint cylinder when the paint roller is held in the vertical position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. This is the position in which the roller will be held to paint a ceiling directly overhead. When it is desired to paint a side wall, it is only necessary to apply finger pressure to the curved portion of the rotatable plate 28. As the plate rotates the guide lines rotate the shield until it is in the position shown in FIG. 3. It will also be noted that the bumper on the shield serves to stop the movement of the roller so that the paint cylinder will not hit and mark the adjacent ceiling or wall depending on whether a wall or the ceiling is being painted. In any case the shield can be positioned by mere finger pressure on the rotatable plate so that paint will not be splattered unnecessarily or against areas desired to be protected.

Thus among others, the several aforenoted objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although a single somewhat preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A splatter shield device for a paint roller having a rod formed into a spindle on which is rotatably mounted a paint cylinder, an ofiset portion, and a handle portion to which is affixed a handle, said device comprising:

a shield having means for afi'ixing it to the spindle for rotation around the paint roller;

a clamp having means for affixing it to the handle of the paint roller;

a plate rotatably mounted on the clamp;

a first guide line coupled to and running from a first point on said plate spaced from the point of rotation of said plate to one side of said shield; and

a second guide line coupled to and running from a second point on said plate opposite said first point and spaced from the point of rotation of said plate to the opposite side of said shield; whereby rotation of said plate will rotate said shield through said guide lines to a desired position.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the rotatable plate is T- shaped with the first guide line affixed to one end of the cross member of said plate and the second guide line is afiixed to the opposite end of said cross member.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the vertical portion of said T-shaped plate has a curved portion to receive a finger for rotation of the plate.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the shield is a semi cylindrical shell having end walls which shell has a raised portion along a longitudinal edge of said shell to serve as a bumper to prevent the paint cylinder from striking the surface adjacent to the surface being painted.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein a rod projects upwardly from the clamp to serve as a guide rod for the said guide lines.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein a pin projects from one end of the shield for insertion into the end of the paint cylinder and a clip is affixed to the opposite end of the shield for snapping such end to the spindle of the paint roller.

7. Thednvention of claim 1 wherein the rotatable plate is spring loaded to keep the shield normally under the paint cylinder when the paint roller is in vertical position. 

1. A splatter shield device for a paint roller having a rod formed into a spindle on which is rotatably mounted a paint cylinder, an offset portion, and a handle portion to which is affixed a handle, said device comprising: a shield having means for affixing it to the spindle for rotation around the paint roller; a clamp having means for affixing it to the handle of the paint roller; a plate rotatably mounted on the clamp; a first guide line coupled to and running from a first point on said plate spaced from the point of rotation of said plate to one side of said shield; and a second guide line coupled to and running from a second point on said plate opposite said first point and spaced from the point of rotation of said plate to the opposite side of said shield; whereby rotation of said plate will rotate said shield through said guide lines to a desired position.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the rotatable plate is T-shaped with the first guide line affixed to one end of the cross member of said plate and the second guide line is affixed to the opposite end of said cross member.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the vertical portion of said T-shaped plate has a curved portion to receive a finger for rotation of the plate.
 4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the shield is a semi cylindrical shell having end walls which shell has a raised portion along a longitudinal edge of said shell to serve as a bumper to prevent the paint cylinder from striking the surface adjacent to the surface being painted.
 5. The invention of claim 1 wherein a rod projects upwardly from the clamp to serve as a guide rod for the said guide lines.
 6. The invention of claim 1 wherein a pin projects from one end of the shield for insertion into the end of the paint cylinder and a clip is affixed to the opposite end of the shield for snapping such end to the spindle of the paint roller.
 7. The invention of claim 1 wherein the rotatable plate is spring loaded to keep the shield normally under the paint cylinder when the paint roller is in vertical position. 